London may fancy itself as the coolest kid on the block but the West Country's capital Bristol has been crowned the best city in the UK.

Bristol beat 63 cities to win the top accolade and came above rivals such as London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Judges praised everything from the "buzzy" culture to the beautiful countryside before placing it as the number one city in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live in Britain list, where it joins Monmouth at the top table.

Judges said: "From Brunel to Banksy, via a great choice of housing, a revitalised harbour and excellent transport links, Bristol's got the lot."

In recent years the city has shrugged off an unsophisticated country bumpkin image to become known as one of the country's most vibrant.

From Banksy to drum 'n' bass, Bristol has built up a reputation as a trendy place for young people to live and was at the forefront of the foodie revival. And whereas couples once moved out as soon as the kids hit a certain age, the city has managed to stem the exodus of families by shrugging off its reputation for having a failing education system.

It is also ideally located for residents to enjoy the benefits of being close to the capital, rolling Cotswolds countryside and some of the UK's best beaches. Judges also praised one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and varied and beautiful housing stock.

"While nearby Bath is all bonnets and bows, Bristol sees itself as rather more gritty — after all, this is Banksy's home town," said the Sunday Times. "There is something for everyone: Broadmead and Cabot Circus provide 500 shops in the centre (and there's an Ikea in Eastville); it's home to two universities, it's just been voted European Green Capital 2015 and there's a thriving art and music scene.

"The revamped harbour is buzzing with shops, restaurants and galleries — and, if you need even more, there are two mainline stations, an airport and the M4 leading to London and south Wales."

It adds: "Clifton, at the top of the hill by Brunel's suspension bridge, provides Georgian gentility and a villagey atmosphere — at a price: two-bedroom flats start at £280,000, while a town house is £1 million. Montpelier has a more self-consciously hipster vibe, without the out-and-out edginess of some of Bristol's less salubrious areas, and the Tobacco Factory building in Southville offers office space for "creatives", as well as a popular café-bar and Sunday market.

"If you want a quieter life, the leafy suburbs of Stoke Bishop, Westbury and Redland are popular: a semi here is £650,000."

It is the first time the guide has featured a city guide and editor Helen Davies said: "Many of us already live in a city and even more of us are predicted to make our home in one in the next decade. The urban lifestyle appeals to almost everyone."Unsurprisingly, Mayor George Ferguson welcomed the news, but said the city has yet more to give. “I have always been a passionate advocate for Bristol at every opportunity both at home and abroad. It is a city with a rich heritage and a greater variety of experiences than any other UK city outside London, but is very much a city on the move with exciting plans to make us one of Europe’s greenest, most culturally rich cities to include a 12,000 capacity Arena which will give us a world class performance venue. The award of European Green Capital status for 2015 is a reflection of our ambition and is testament to the pioneering, creative drive that created the city’s rich heritage and which is at the heart of its ongoing development. “The appeal of Bristol to people in all walks of life is reflected in our rapidly growing population and in the rich and diverse make-up of our communities. This diversity, I believe, is key to our success. Bristol is a city that celebrates diversity, that embraces change and the challenge of the new while seeking to preserve the best of what we already have. I’m delighted with this future endorsement of Bristol as the best of the best.

Bristol is well known for its festival scene and there is one almost every weekend in the summer. They include:

Grillstock – June 7-8 A fusion of barbecues and American music. Now in its fifth year.

Bristol Shakespeare Festival – July 11-27 Top local and UK talent. www.bristolshakespeare.com.

Bristol Swing Festival – April 18-21 At Circomedia, Kingswood and the Trinity Centre, this Lindy Hop and Circus event attracts visitors from across Europe

Hit the Deck Festival – April 19 Indoor alternative rock festival at the Thekla, O2, Fleece and The Exchange

3 comments

nick - you haven't travelled very far if you think that. I could give you a list of scores of European cities (including some UK ones) that are far worse than Bristol for public transport. In the past couple of years Bristol has come out either top or nearly so in several other similar surveys by different organisations. The snag with too many Bristolians (in the city region sense and not just the municipal) is that they are provincial in outlook and always seem to believe the grass is greener over the hill in eveything. Usually it's not - far from it, but It takes outsiders to tell Bristolians how good their city really is in comparison with so many others.